Dive into the riveting world of Firekeeper's Daughter, a young adult thriller by Angeline Boulley set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This remarkable novel weaves together cultural richness, suspense, and a protagonist you won't soon forget: the resilient Daunis Fontaine finds herself entangled in a web of deception as she navigates the complexities of her Ojibwe heritage and the challenges facing her community.
Join us in person at the Roethke House for a thought-provoking discussion about what can happen when secrets, identity, and justice converge.
Complimentary copies of the book are available at the Theodore Roethke House and Butman Fish Library during open hours. Books can also be shipped for our friends outside Saginaw. If other arrangements need to be made, please contact us at info@friendsofroethke.org.
Synopsis:
Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team.
Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug.
Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims.
Now, as the deceptions—and deaths—keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.
About Lauren Smith
Lauren Smith is a professor of English at Delta College where she teaches composition, creative writing, and literature.
Access the book club kit:
https://bookish.netgalley.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Firekeepers-Daughter-Book-Club-Kit.pdf
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